4 Signs You Are Blocking God’s Blessing

James 4:2-3

While the Bible is clear that God’s grace can always save us from sin, this does not mean that there are no consequences in our life when we rebel against God. We are certainly not saved by our works and we definitely cannot earn any blessings from God. Everything good we have is because of the gospel work of Jesus Christ.

Although we cannot earn blessings and thus we must receive them with open hands, we can block God’s blessings by closing our hands. God will not force you to enjoy a blessing he wants to give you. As Galatians 6:8 explains, we do reap what we sow as well.

So here are 4 signs that you are blocking God’s blessings in your life.

1. If You Are Consistently Living in Sin, This Is a Sign You Are Blocking God’s Blessing in Your Life

Just as a loving parent would never want to reward bad behavior from one of their children, God loves us too much to bless us when we are in rebellion.

James 5:16 states, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Psalm 66:18 explains, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” And James 4:3 also says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Sin will block God’s blessings in your life because most of all God wants us to honor him with the blessings he gives us. When we will misuse his blessings, he protects us by not giving them to us.

2. If You Don’t Come to God and Ask for His Blessing, This Is a Sign You Are Blocking Blessings He Wants to Give You

Another prerequisite to getting an answered prayer request is to make that prayer request to begin with. It sounds so simple but the Bible consistently points out that God answers the prayers of those who actually come to him in prayer.

James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

If you want something from God, it always starts with asking. God will not always answer every prayer the way that you want, but he cannot answer a prayer request that you never actually make to him.

3. If You Do Not Have Faith in God, This Is a Sign You Are Blocking God’s Blessings in Your Life

In addition to asking, God also requires that we ask in faith. If you do not have faith in God’s goodness and power, you will be blocking his blessings in your life.

James 1:6-7 says, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” In Matthew 13:58, referring to Jesus, it says, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

Now I want to clarify that there is a difference between believing God can do something and demanding that he do it. There is a difference between having faith that God can answer any prayer request and barraging him with prayers until he gives you what you want.

This stubbornness in prayer is not an expression of faith but rather a belief based in a works theology. God does not give you what you want based upon how hard you pray for it or because of how often you pray for it. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

Asking in faith means you truly believe that God love you, that God is powerful enough to do whatever he wants, and that God’s will is what is best for you. As Philippians 4:6 (NLT) instructs, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

4. If You Do Not Believe God Himself Is the Ultimate Blessing in Life, You Are Blocking God’s Blessing

The main way to block God’s blessing in your life is to misunderstand what God’s main blessing actually is. While the Bible affirms that even material things are blessings from the Lord and that we should thank him for these things, the Bible also makes clear that earthly blessings should never be our main desire. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, 31-33 (NLT):

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. . . .

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

May we never block God’s main blessing in our lives by forgetting what is our ultimate prize. Seeking God is what is best for us because a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the best blessing of all.